SyFy Gives, and SyFy Takes Away

Would it surprise you to know that SyFy is actually working on a sci-fi series? The show will be called Defiance, and it actually seems pretty epic — for SyFy, at least. It’s not just a TV show but also an accompanying MMORPG, and — well, here’s the official description and cast:

Set in the near future, Defiance introduces players and viewers to a completely transformed planet Earth, inhabited by the disparate survivors of a universal war who endeavor to build a new society among the devastation. The game combines the intense action of a AAA console shooter, with the persistence, scale, and customization of an MMO, while its TV counterpart weaves the rich tapestry of the world into a series with the scope, characters, and drama of a classic sci-fi epic. Because they exist in a single universe, the show and the game will influence each other and evolve together over time, with actions in both mediums driving the overall story of Defiance.

You can see more people talking about how amazing the show and the show/game combo is in the behind-the-scenes video above. I remain trepidatious — having events of the TV show show up in the game immediately after an episode airs sounds pretty cool, but having the game affect the show? That sounds like a distaster. By the third season all the characters will be voiced by 14-year-old boys calling each other noobs, pussies and various racial epithets.

While Defiance sounds reasonably keen, remember that SyFy has sworn that it can only provide five or so hours of actual science fiction entertainment per week, meaning that in order to make room for Defiancethey had to cancel Sanctuary. Hey, gotta keep room for all that wrestling and ghost hunting, right? Thanks to Michael J. for the tip. (Via Blastr)